ADPH warns of e-cigarette, nicotine pouch risks affecting adults & children

ALABAMA (WHNT) — The Alabama Department of Public Health said that e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches are harmful to everyone, even children.

ADPH said that with the knowledge that no tobacco products are safe, people are looking for “healthier alternatives” to cigarettes.

The department said some select e-cigarettes are highly addictive and can harm the developing brains of teens, children and the fetus of a pregnant woman who vapes. Additionally, the liquid used in e-cigarettes can be dangerous because, apart from intended use, ADPH said children and adults have been poisoned by accidentally swallowing, breathing or absorbing the liquid.

In addition to e-cigarettes, ADPH said another highly addictive nicotine product that is becoming more attractive as time goes on is nicotine pouches.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sales of nicotine pouches increased from 126 million pouches in August 2018 to 808 million in March 2022. Nicotine pouches contain a powder made of nicotine, flavorings, and other ingredients,” ADPH said.

The ADPH cited a study published in Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, stating that children may imitate adults who use the pouches and accidentally swallow them.

“Between 2010 and 2023, U.S. poison centers reported over 134,000 cases, most involving toddlers and nearly all occurring at home. Liquid nicotine, even in small amounts, can be toxic to young children,” the study found.

In these years that were studied, the report says there were 134,663 nicotine ingestions among children younger than six that were reported to the U.S. poison centers. The report also says that most of the children were younger than two.

ADPH said the report found that two toddlers died after ingesting liquid nicotine used in vapes.

“The only healthful alternative for smoking is to quit,” ADPH said. “Further, parents should model healthy behaviors and not use nicotine products in front of children. The Alabama Quitline is a free telephone and online coaching service that helps people quit tobacco. Services include coaching, a personalized quit plan, and up to 8 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy patches if enrolled in the coaching program and medically eligible.”

You can learn more about this topic on ADPH’s website here.